Catoosa Public Schools hosts District Technology Competition

On December 1, 2017, Catoosa County Public Schools hosted the first District Technology Competition for students. This competition is part of the district’s Let’s Get CONNECTed! technology initiative. Superintendent Denia Reese said, "We implemented Let’s Get CONNECTed! to prepare our students for a digital economy. When our students enter college and the workforce they must be computer literate. Every Catoosa County student has an iPad or a Chromebook, and we use technology daily in the classroom to achieve this goal. This competition gives students the opportunity to showcase what they learning in the classroom in creative and innovative ways."

Ninety-one students, in grades 3-12, from schools across the district participated in the competition. Students entered projects in the following categories: Graphic Design, Digital Photo, Audio Production, Digital Game Design, Animation, Mobile Apps, Multimedia Apps, 3D Modeling, Video Production, Internet Applications, and Robotics. Forty-two students, working individually and in pairs, will compete in the regional competition with 29 projects in 11 categories. Superintendent Reese said, "I am so proud that so many Catoosa County students will be competing in the regional competition. I appreciate the teachers who worked so hard to help our students achieve this level of success. This is a great achievement for our first technology competition!"

Dr. Ingrid Jones, Professional Learning Specialist, said "The goal of the competition is to nurture and showcase our students’ abilities as ‘CREATORS’ not just ‘users’ of technology." She explained that with the Let’s Get CONNECTed! technology initiative and 1:1 implementation that technology is being integrated into classroom instruction daily. Students are being challenged to use technology to become owners and producers of knowledge. She added, "With 1:1 technology, more students in our classrooms are coding, which is the creation and development of software, apps, and websites."

Superintendent Reese said, "To say that I was astonished by the projects entered in this competition is an understatement! The students who participated in this competition were unbelievably innovative and creative in developing new programs and inventions." She continued, "I would like to thank Dr. Ingrid Jones, Professional Learning Specialist, and Steve Sawyer, Technology Director, for organizing this amazing event for our students."

The system would like to thank the following sponsors for their support: Shaw Industries, Ingles Market, Catoosa Education Association, and Chick-Fil-A.